Louisianans have an average life expectancy of 72.2 years, one of the worst in the country.
The big picture: The U.S. average is 76.4 years as of 2021, per a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis.
Hawaii (79.9 years), Massachusetts (79.6) and Connecticut (79.2) have the longest life expectancy at birth.
Mississippi (70.9 years), West Virginia (71.0) and Alabama (72.0) have the shortest. In general, southern states had the lowest life expectancy.
Between the lines: Women are expected to live longer than men across the country.
In Louisiana, women are expected to live 75.9 years, while men are at 68.8 years.
Zoom in: Life expectancy nationwide fell by 0.6 years between 2020 and 2021 — largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and drug overdoses, per the report.
How it works: The findings are based on a combination of mortality statistics and census and Medicare data.
The bottom line: With the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, these numbers will likely improve in future reports — as earlier preliminary data suggests.
Still, both COVID and drug overdoses remain serious public health challenges.